The Illusion of Death
by HannieNannie
Summary: Without a single recollection of her identity, Chihiro wandered lost with no memory. Despite the calls of Yomi, she lingers by the kami of the swift Amber River who will do anything to help her.
1. Chapter I

**The Illusion of Death**

 **Chapter I**

Without a single recollection of her identity, Chihiro wandered lost with no memory. Despite the calls of Yomi, she lingers by the Kami of the swift Amber River who will do anything to help her.

 **Author's Note: I hope you enjoy reading and support me through this, there's no motivation like hearing from your readers! See you next week.**

 **By** **〜** **HannieNannie**

 **"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."**

 **\- Norman Cousins**

There was a lot of screaming followed by clamor. Everything was noisy until lost in nihility. As if her world never darkened she woke up on woodland underbrush. No real thought came to mind, just a settled gaze upon the endless haze.

Elbows furrowed into the ground allowing her body to rise, it felt strange – effortless. Scrutinizing the nameless vicinity, no thought lingered in her mind except to stand on her feet. The frigid air chilled her body becoming nearly insensible; it was hard to feel her own leg taking a step forward.

Not sure where there was to go or why... the proximity held no familiarity.

Taking a moment to consider her surroundings, there wasn't much to look at thanks to the fog enshrouding the distance. Barely penetrable by the moonlight, it was dark and hard to see anything at all. Ominous and quiet, there wasn't even a single buzz of an insect or ambiance of nature despite being surrounded by woodland and thicket. Stocky boles would materialize from the mist that she would carefully maneuver around despite vertigo threatening her balance.

A powerful whistle thundered in the air, piercing her eardrums until they rang in the silence. Like a forlorn call coming from somewhere in the perpetual night.

Surrounding her, the fog diminished enough to discern that she wasn't alone. Side-by-side, shadows emerged with the physique of a human. Before long, more entities appeared out of the caliginosity.

The shadows were diversified in both size and width, they had no details except for their unique clothing. As the crowd grew larger; soon they were all walking toward a single soft glowing light. Emerging from the fog, a lamppost lit the stairway to a train station where one apparition passed out tickets. Waiting her turn, the shadow of a man faced her impassively and handed over one of the slips of paper. Stepping up onto the gray stone it was as cold as it looked; the only thing covering her feet were socks and one shoe.

As a train with two passenger cars waited to depart, it sounded its whistle a final time. Everyone waited patiently to board; some even carried a large bag of luggage. As for herself, she waited with nothing – not even the slightest clue of what's going on.

There was nothing left to do but move forward.

Boarding the train, she sat down and looked at the ticket still in her hand. The two passengers next to her seemed to be mother and child, they paid her no mind. All the available space was taken and some gentlemen were straphangers. The train eventually closed its doors.

Looking out the crosswise window, the station was left behind, along with it, a life once lived forgotten.

The obscurity of the fog darkened to pitch black as they entered a tunnel. The vibrations of the moving train and rumbling of the tracks reverberated back to her ears. A new world opened up, along with it the light of dawn. Watching the sunrise through the same window, the rays eventually reached the water. Casting an illumination that glittered across the surface, it followed the movement of the train.

She felt compulsive to get off and before long the train reached its first station. It screeched and hissed trying to come to a standstill. Very few of the passengers got up and detrained while she remained indecisive in the same spot. Something was pulling at her, but she subtly ignored it. Making the decision for her, the doors closed. They were headed to the next station, similar to the last. All the while as they traveled on submerged tracks, she continued watching out the crosswise window.

Once arriving at the station, it was already midday. Just as the sun rose hours ago, she would watch as it steadily lowered. The train screeched and slowed their procession. Now she felt it was time to alight with some of the others leaving behind only a small number.

Everyone went straight to the red tunnel as if it had been their destination all along. One after the other they gave someone their tickets and took an escalator down into the ground with a sign that read "exit". Instead of following them, she lingered on the station in the midst of nowhere. The sun was high in the sky, and she looked up to it without any harm. If she happened to follow them, would she ever see it again?

She didn't want to leave, something was calling out to her. A sense of longing, something important she had forgotten. It would be okay to stay, wouldn't it? The shadowed figure of a girl waited until the train left the station to walk along the tracks.

。。。。

In the southwest, multiple geothermally heated springs resided around Mount Aki, a dormant volcano, the largest mountain among a cluster nearly reaching the clouds. Below to the rugged gaps covered in creeping junipers, a stream cascaded down a series of waterfalls. It curved around a final mountain to reach its destination, the forest. Adjacent to the current, a flat surface surrounded by mountains turned white from being thermally heated. The center was a reservoir of darkening blue water that a dip in the crater would surely be hot enough to kill a human. Numerous geysers waited to explode and blast boiling water a hundred and fifty feet into the air at average. For now, they filled the atmosphere with steam in anticipation of their scheduled bursts.

Among one of the smaller peaks, a stone carved stairwell terraced up to the first structure sticking out of the mountainside. Buildings of different elevations were connected by woven wisteria vines made into bridges. They attached each platform supported by latticed pillars. The walkways formed an interconnected path going up a ternary of mountains.

The longest bridge crossed over cascading water to reach the third mountain. The buildings and platforms curved around the boiling crater until facing north. The eruptions in the middle were far enough to keep any spirit from harm and put on a good show.

There was an inn to stay at where you could dine and be entertained. The food was renowned but the main attraction being the many hot springs carved and polished into the stone. Many spirits and kami alike traveled from afar to visit the Shinrinyoku Onsen to revive their tired bodies and relax.

As for the owner of the onsen, an elderly woman now deceased. The ownership was passed down to a young man by the name Kohaku, Kami of the swift Amber River. Residing on the edge of the third mountain, Kohaku lives in a separate lodging facing north. His home is the furthest you can go, hence no one but a select few had any business going past the gated entry.

"Take these orders to the courier; I want everything delivered by tomorrow afternoon."

"Yes, Kohaku-sama right away," one of the yuna bowed before excusing herself back to work and leaving the way she came.

Retiring to his room, his living quarters consisted of only two stories. Upstairs, he lounged on the tatami edged in brocade and faced the engawa¹ with open shoji screens. The view of the geysers dropped below vantage point where they emitted a constant flow of steam. In the distance, a color changing thicket began the transition to warm hues as summer came to an end.

A steady supply of water from the tributaries in the southern snowcapped mountains created a stream flowing past his onsen to the river in the forest below. The never-ending supply of mineral water is what kept the business alive and thriving almost a thousand years since its birth.

It was a busy day as usual, with little time to rest. Inhaling a long slightly exasperated breath, his attention was soon diverted to the railing on the edge of the exterior hallway. Flittering about was a neatly folded paper manikin. Its rounded head, wings, and pointed tail resembled that of a bird. An all too familiar Shikigami controlled by only one person he could think of.

Staring at the floating white piece of paper, it was suddenly blown away as the geyser below erupted a turbulent of water like a powerful fountain into the sky! The water sprayed across the stone in a pitter-patter that echoed throughout the rounded gorge. The warm mist and steam traveled through the air. The distant tumult of cheering guests could be heard from his room. The Shikigami shortly returned and landed on the edge of his engawa.

The paper bird fell flat, and not a second later something started to emerge. The solid form of Zeniba popped out into the open air, floating and looking herself over. Her large eyes rested on the boy and her lips curled into a soft smile.

"Kohaku, it's been a while hasn't it?"

 **Engawa¹ - The transition point between indoors and out in traditional Japanese homes. In warmer months they're like a veranda. Let the light and air in, basically an exterior hallway on the outside of rooms.**


	2. Chapter II

**Chapter** **II**

"Zeniba? How are you?" Kohaku propped himself up while still lounging on the ground.

"Just fine, but I'm afraid there's a reason I came here today."

Something was off about the witch, there wasn't a lot for her to worry about, especially one that would involve him.

"What is it?" he asked. The familiar prickle of dread crept its way through his nerves as the witch spoke.

"It's about Chihiro."

Kohaku sat up and looked into a reflection of apprehension. A name he hadn't heard in years, and he thought it would have stayed that way for many more.

"Before Chihiro left this world, she parted with a small gift a mine. A band infused with my magic, the only thing from this world she has in her possession. Lately, I've been feeling some sort of…," the witch trailed off in profound thought. "Distress," she concluded.

Distress? Kohaku waited for her to elaborate.

"I'm worried about her Kohaku, I can't feel my magic any longer. I thought you should know with her being even dearer to you."

It took a moment of consideration for Kohaku to reply. "Thank you Zeniba. I'll look into it and send you a letter as soon as I find anything."

The witch bowed her head then looked down at the boy with a solace smile. "I'll do the same." In only a moment she quietly disappeared back into the Shikigami. Gradually it floated into the air and returned home.

The time that went by since the witch's absence felt empty and void of meaning. Kohaku brooded. An unpleasant thought rumbled through his mind, the welfare of a girl in the human world. He didn't have the ability to sense humans from afar nor in the human world, he alone couldn't look for her. The only connection she had with Zeniba's magic being severed wasn't good either, now not even the sorceress had the ability to know her whereabouts.

If Chihiro was already here in the worst way possible, she could become lost forever. Even worse, become a monster. Before he could go find her, he needed help for when he did.

There was one place he could go to get it.

 ** _. . ._**

A couple of hours spent traveling northeast and Kohaku would end up in the secluded territory of a Shinigami. No one came to these parts unless they were being lured or a kami willing to lose something. Along the rugged rocks covered in algae and moss, water cascaded down a waterfall near the entrance of a cave.

Deep enough to keep the sun at bay, occasional skylights on the ceiling allowed the light to shine through. The roar of the water was behind him as Kohaku stepped on the transition of mud and grass to stone. Dark stalagmite hung from the ceiling and protruded from the ground in the depths of the cave lit by random rays of light. Taking up most of the circumference was a pond in the shape of a crescent surrounded in more stalagmite. A trickle of water overflowed deeper into the cave, somewhere Kohaku had no intention of going.

Lying on a smooth rock hidden in the darkness, a figure stood up from Kohaku's arrival in her home.

" _Nigihayami Kohakunushi_ , I knew you would come to me." A voice drawled from the silhouette of a woman clad in kimono. "The one who lost his home to humans and uses knowledge of the arcane to fill the loss. To what do I owe the pleasure of our meeting?"

With a pale face like a ghost, the woman stood in the darkness of the cave. Her voice echoed tremendously, in a daunting way. The inhuman beauty she possessed was how she lured her victims, to avoid being tricked, Kohaku never looked her in the eyes.

"Yasha, I need you to find a girl named Chihiro Ogino—"

"Ahh—I can see it, a _human girl_?" Yasha laughed like a hyena and danced around with eager glee. "An intertwined fate between the unlikeliest pair. Something you don't see every day! I wish to know, why do you seek her _now?_ " The galvanized Shinigami inched closer, Kohaku held his gaze on one spot, adverting it away from her animated flailing.

"If you have something to tell me, then stop wasting time."

Yasha froze mid-dance, a ray of sunlight revealed her true face. Rotting decomposing skin, ashen in color. The flesh on her nose was almost gone save for the bridge. The sagging eyebags were dark with rot and her eyes became endless voids that threatened to swallow you. " _You're not one for pleasing are you?_ " her haunting voice was ethereal from beside him, exposing her sharp teeth and putrid breath in the process.

Settling back within the darkness of the cave, Yasha's beautiful appearance returned. "Oh—such a pity... as always." She talked to herself, teasing Kohaku with what she already knew. "Is it her candle of life you want to see? I can show it to you."

Her voice called him into the caliginosity, coaxing and gesturing for him to come closer.

Within her cold existing hands, something coalesced betwixt her palms. A candlestick only a quarter melted. You could tell at first glance, there was a significant lack of flame.

"No Ogino has eaten from the hearth of Yomi in decades. No longer part of the living or a shadow waiting in the cycle of life." Yasha was pretending to be sad and swiped her hand through the image of the candle. It disappeared into the air like vapor.

Ignoring her façade, Kohaku turned his eyes away.

"Wouldn't it just be easier to hate the humans who manipulated your river? After all, they're all the same. Even that girl, she never changed after leaving this world, resulting in her consequential death. Now that she's here to stay, it's only a matter of time until she becomes a misguided spirit."

Chihiro died only a handful of years after leaving this world, Kohaku didn't believe she was given enough time to change. He was well aware of what would happen if he didn't help her now. There was nothing Yasha could say to trick and deter his intent.

"Tell me where I can find her."

The teasing smile on red painted lips turned into a frown. Yasha brushed past Kohaku who ignored the brief moment of contact.

"Your demands to bend the rules come with a hefty _price_ ," Yasha whispered sharply into his ear from behind, anxious for another prize.

"Name it."

The Shinigami retreated and glared into his back. The fate of the River God played before her eyes, a concatenation of events she wouldn't dare miss.

"She wanders by the Aburaya, a place you're no stranger to."

Recognition flashed through his eyes. Chihiro wandered all the way to the bathhouse? The worst place she could go to. What kind of tricks would Yubaba play if she found her first?

"Of course, you know that she cannot stay above ground. Her fate is already at play."

Turning his head to the side, Kohaku told the Shinigami behind him. "You know a way she can stay or I wouldn't be here."

She laughed some more and the trills filled the cave with noise. It had been a long time since a kami had beseeched her dark arts. How far would he be willing to go to hold onto the life of one human girl who had already reached her end? It would be easier to just guide her young spirit to Yomi and bid farewell.

"Oh—so you _already_ know?" she sang ecstatically and danced into the depths of the cave. Kohaku walked back to the entrance where he waited.

"Then we need not waste any more of your _precious_ time." The Shinigami's disembodied voice reverberated to his ears like a caustic moan.

Awaiting her reappearance, Kohaku worried how much longer this would take.

"Once proper burial rites have been performed on her physical body, the chances of her staying in this world will be unfavorable. Place this amulet on her before then." Yasha reemerged with an oval-shaped pendant dangling from her fingers. A pale green agate gemstone banded with white and other similar hues reflected translucently from afar.

Kohaku looked at the amulet to avoid Yasha's gaze as she stepped closer. Walking into a ray of sunlight that shone diagonally across her face, it became a mix of horror and beauty.

"Once you place this on her, fate is out of your hands. If she remains a shadow after three days, then you must guide her to Yomi or let her stay and become a monster."

Dangling in front of him was all he needed to help Chihiro. Something so powerful wouldn't come freely. There was always a price to pay.

"The expenses for my magic would be no more or less than one hundred years of your life."

One hundred years, was that all? Compared to what he already lived and undoubtingly had to spare, that was nothing.

"Consider it done." Kohaku agreed and the weight of the necklace dropped into his hand. Ignoring Yasha who smiled gratifyingly, he turned toward the mouth of the cave to take his leave.

"I'll be seeing you—and remember," a beckoning voice called from behind. " _There are no refunds,_ " she mocked before retreating to her place of interment.

Kohaku wasn't worried about that, the amulet was sure to work. The Aburaya wasn't too far from here; he could make it there in an hour. Keeping the pendant safe, he transformed and flew northeast as the sun steadily lowered in the horizon. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to Chihiro.


	3. Chapter III

**Chapter III**

 **Author's Note: Thanks for reading my story and supporting me :) I know a lot of you are busy, even with writing your own fictions so I greatly appreciate it!**

Yubaba was checking the quality of her gold when something pulled at her senses. It was a familiar presence but too weak to recognize as anything other than good-for-nothing. She quickly packed away her newly acquired treasure and scurried to open one of the many European styled windows on the top floor.

The presence vanished but returned just as fast, a dull pounding in the back of her head. She couldn't identify it. The name was on the tip of her tongue…

"There's something out there," she speculated.

"Uh—what was that madam?"

A frogman awaiting her approval of a special guest's payment stood in the doorway.

"There's something out there. I'm not quite sure what it is." Yubaba repeated even louder with a hint of irritation.

"Is it an intruder? _A human?!"_ The frogman fiddled his fingers with a panic-stricken face.

"This is no human, keep an eye on it; if it gets any closer I want it taken care of immediately. I don't have time to deal with pests today."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Closing the window, Yubaba accepted the guest's payment. It was better to be paranoid than to lose money from any more fake gold. The quality was immaculate; she expected no less from a rich and powerful kami.

The frogman lingered, expectant for something more. "What are you waiting for? Get back to work," Yubaba reprimanded and shooed him into the hallway.

Cracking the same window open again, Yubaba called upon the harpy. "Yu-Bird, see what you can find."

A bird with the head of a hag cawed in compliance and perched on the windowsill before swooping into the open air. Soaring through the sky, it peered down at the town filling with spirits. The sun was already falling below the horizon and staining the sky with gold and pink hues.

Looking for anything unusual, something stuck out from the rest of the shapeless shadows forming on the street. Yu-Bird perched herself on a balcony to one of the many restaurants and scrutinized the spirit of a girl. Something about it was familiar, the scrawny arms and legs… Then it dawned on her!

Cawing and squawking excitedly, no matter how much noise her flapping wings made, the girl never acknowledged her.

An unmistakable presence approached, one she recognized well. Yu-Bird glared down one side of the trail then toward the Aburaya just as the girl below walked past her in that same direction. Getting up from her spot, she went to warn the spirit to turn around before getting any closer to the stairs; Yu-Bird's efforts were in vain.

Yubaba would undoubtedly recognize the second presence drawing near. Yu-Bird didn't want any more trouble to befall her friend, even if she didn't remember her. The harpy retreated but lingered out of curiosity before reporting back to her master.

As if on cue, the kami of the Amber River appeared.

Running down the lamp illuminated pathway, Kohaku lunged himself through the air with tremendous speed. Trying to catch up to the wandering spirit before she got any closer to the bathhouse, he called out her name.

"Chihiro!"

Yu-Bird shivered in anticipation.

The shadowed figure of a young girl stopped in her trek. With no details on her face, she still turned to acknowledge the one standing behind her.

Kohaku slowed to a stop, they faced one another for the first time in years. If Chihiro couldn't remember anything now, that was okay. He wouldn't let her remain lost in perpetuity forever.

"I didn't think we'd be meeting again so soon."

Unresponsive to his words, Chihiro stood amid the busy trail with other spirits slinking by without a care. Kohaku approached her with an amulet dangling in his hand. Yu-Bird could sense the dark magic and flapped her wings apprehensively.

"Don't take this off if you want to stay in this world," he told her.

Without rebuffing or reacting in any specific way, Chihiro allowed him to place the pendant around her neck. Stepping back, the agate gemstone was the only color on her drab torso. The collared blouse was the same dark navy as the pleated skirt hovering above her knees. She was even missing a shoe. Gradually the silver chain and colorful gemstone shaded and turned shadowy like the rest of her.

"We can't stay here," he told the spirit who showed no sign of understanding him.

Taking her shadowed hand that radiated no heat, Kohaku looked at her tenderly before dragging Chihiro back the way he came. Yu-Bird took flight and followed them past all the restaurants. Left behind, the ticket she was holding onto floated to the ground. Eventually, all three of them were in the sky together, but Yu-Bird couldn't tail them for very long.

It was time to return to her master.

"I was waiting for you." Yubaba impatiently tapped her fingernails on her desk and sharply eyed the harpy. "So what did _he_ want?" The boy's presence was undeniable. Not a second later and Yu-Bird showed the witch what she saw.

It all made sense; even Yu-Bird could tell the spirit was Chihiro. The weak presence Yubaba felt earlier just so happened to be connected to Kohaku as well, her former apprentice. "So that's who it was," she sneered wittingly.

There was no point in going after them. She lost a bet against that human just a few years ago; her meddling also resulted in Yubaba losing her puppet. Kohaku could have easily just been torn to shreds after that whole ordeal. However, Boh was returned safely and Yubaba would never be forgiven if she did anything to make the human brat cry, lest her son found out.

Yubaba did, however, take a mental note of where they were going.

。。。。

It was late by the time they reached the Shinrinyoku Onsen. The numerous lampshades illuminated the three mountains with the exception of Kohaku's abode on the end. It wasn't late enough for all the spirits to be asleep but no one would bother him at this hour unless it was an emergency.

Together they floated down to the rocky pathway of his courtyard.

The susurration of his guests and staff could be heard in the background, after all, the lodgings weren't far down from his home.

Hand-in-hand, they walked up to the entrance and Kohaku removed his sandals before stepping up from the genkan¹. Chihiro left her one shoe on and followed behind him to her new room. Stepping across the tatami area, a left would take them to the kitchen whereas a right to a staircase.

On the opposing wall, Kohaku opened the shoji to her new room. This would be the only place she could get any privacy unless she preferred sleeping with the yuna. Contemplating whether or not to open the screens to the engawa for some fresh air, he decided against it.

"This is where you'll be staying."

The spirit slipped out of his hand and walked past him into her new room. Kohaku hadn't a clue what she was thinking; he just hoped she wouldn't leave for the next few days. He walked over to the wall closest to the mountain where a closet sat next to an empty tokonoma². Getting out one of the futons, a cylinder buckwheat hull pillow, and a lightweight quilted blanket, he set up her bed for the night. Taking his leave, before Kohaku closed the shoji to her room, the girl turned her head toward his withdrawing profile.

Going up the stairs that lead to an engawa, a few steps down the hall and Kohaku hesitated before going into his room. Looking out over the railing to the spirits walking along the platforms, they were quieter at night than during the day. The hot springs were more gratifying when you could close your eyes to the ambiance of nature and relax.

Kohaku turned away from the railing and used the finger catch to slide the shoji open. He left it cracked enough to hear the outdoors and laid directly on the tatami. Feeling the breeze on his skin, his mind was filled with worries. He had more than a thriving onsen to be concerned about, he had just inherited it not long ago. It would be impossible to watch over Chihiro during the next few days like he wanted to.

Inhaling a long deep breath, Kohaku expelled it out through his nose and quieted his mind.

 **Genkan** **¹ – A step-up entryway where outdoor shoes are usually replaced with indoor shoes.**

 **Tokonoma** **²** **–** **Is a built-in recessed space (alcove) in a Japanese style room. There's some** **wall space where scrolls can be hung up and a raised dais which items such as an incense burner, vase for flowers, and candle holder can be placed.**


	4. Chapter IV

**Chapter IV**

A flock of Pacific swallows chirped and avoided the steam evaporating in the air. Flying over the business built into the mountainsides, the avian spirits continued down to the forest. Yuna and other workers ran along the platforms and across the bridges to wait on and serve guests. They carried towels, buckets, and formula to the different hot springs. Most of the yuna worked in the inn and as entertainers or waitresses and some served guests in the onsen. As for most of the male workers, they cooked, filled the tubs and maintained the complicated pipe system. It was a group effort to keep everything clean.

"Has the courier returned yet?" Kohaku asked one of the passing yuna who apologized for not knowing.

It wasn't urgent but he told Zeniba he would contact her if he found anything. A simple letter would do, no need to have the witch rushing over.

By time Zeniba got the letter, Chihiro's fate will have already been decided. For the next three days, he would check on her as much as he could. Until he found the courier, he didn't want to deal with anything else.

"Nobuyuki!" Kohaku shouted to one of the frogmen who jumped in retaliation.

"Yes, sir?!" scrambling over, Nobuyuki nearly dropped his trinket-filled bucket.

Glaring down at the worker, Kohaku demanded. "Find the courier, I don't have all day."

The frogman scratched his head with a wary countenance. "I'll keep an eye out for him. But…," he trailed off.

"What is it?"

"The pump in the sulfate spring broke again; it's down till I can get it back up."

Kohaku sighed, "Very well. Carry on," he dismissed the frogman. He would fix it himself but he didn't want to smell rotting eggs first thing in the morning.

It took an hour to finally find the courier, the letter wouldn't be sent out until tonight. Not that Kohaku was worried; he was in for an earful when she got here.

Walking back up the mountainside, he detoured at the sulfur onsen to see how the repair was going. The old water pumps often broke from overuse. From the handles to the piston inside, replacements were stored away in case of emergencies like this.

Each hot spring shared a water reservoir depending on the mineral content. To enhance certain baths, they would add specific formulas to the water. The sulfate spring had its own supply deep in the ground. After dumping the old water, they would clean the tubs and fill them by hand. Usually, two men did the pumping as it was tedious work. The equipment was outdated but cheap considering they didn't need to heat the water themselves. The men didn't mind the manual labor as they took turns filling the baths and made a competition out of it that Kohaku ignored.

Just as he entered the onsen, the greeter welcomed him. "How are the repairs going?" Kohaku looked around and saw the usually congested room baring a significant lack of movement. The dressing rooms were being cleaned by yuna and the small washroom empty.

"The last I heard they were filling the tub, shouldn't be long before we open, sir."

Kohaku nodded. That was all he needed to hear.

"Keep up the good work," he told the frogman on his way out.

"Yes, thank you, sir!"

Lifting the noren¹ out of his face, Kohaku made his way up to his home. The platforms made of wooden planks were large enough for converging traffic to pass an arms width apart. It creaked and thudded with each footfall but with good upkeep to preserve the safety of his guests and staff.

Crossing over a bridge and stepping up some terraced rock, he passed more onsen and some food carts emitting a savory aroma. There was only two sentō _on_ the smaller mountains where guests who intended to use the hot springs had to bathe first. They were communal baths, just like every onsen, not separated by gender.

Overtop the stream of water; the longest bridge connected the gap between mountains. The inn, staff lodging and Kohaku's home on the end made up most of the edifices. There was also a private sentō for employees. A yuna stood at the head of the bridge and warned passersby of the geyser's scheduled eruption and that it would be any minute from now. Unconcerned, Kohaku went across as did many others.

Yuna ran along the bridge, squeezing by and excusing themselves with places to be and not wanting to get drenched on the way. Some of the guests opened umbrellas that were sold in various designs versus the plain ones provided by the staff. They leisurely walked across while most waited by the railing on either side.

" _3, 2… 1!_ " the staff started and the guests joined in as they chanted the countdown for the eruption. Just on cue, the explosive spray of water and steam outpoured over a hundred feet into the air! The cheers and hubbub of all the guests pitched the air. The hot vapors traveled with the wind directly toward the bridge.

Everyone shielded themselves with either their umbrella, towel or bucket in vain. With a swish of Kohaku's hand, the oncoming droplets and vapors hovered in midair, the steam arched over the bridge as it followed the path of the wind. Everyone lowered their protective gear and looked up at the phenomenon with awe and delight. The steam evaporated and the droplets of water fell from gravity and sprayed across the rocks below.

Finally, on the other side of the bridge, a yuna bowed to him and told the guests it was okay to cross if they wanted to.

Already midday, Kohaku finally caught a break to check on Chihiro. Walking up to the entrance of his home, he discarded his shoes and stepped into the vacant tatami area. Light from the ranma² to his right allowed some of the sun to peak through artistic carvings of nature.

On the other side, Kohaku opened the screen to her room using the finger catch. The spirit stood by the clear shoji, looking out to the mountains. It was humid in her room with a lack of airflow. Deciding against his better judgment, Kohaku walked over to the screens and placed his fingers in the door pull.

The last thing he needed to worry about was Chihiro climbing out and wandering around Shinrinyoku. If she could stay in a room that wasn't locked, surely he could trust her with this.

The spirit faced the fresh air rushing into the room and took a step forward with a lack of reaction. Kohaku studied her and found nothing different from the previous day. There was nothing to do but wait and see. The worse possible outcome would be Zeniba helping him take her to Yomi. Kohaku wouldn't leave her in this world to go mad and become a monster. He hoped one morning she would blink at the sun in her face instead of staring at it like an animated doll.

"Kohaku-sama!" one of the frogmen frantically called for him from outdoors.

"I'll be back," he told Chihiro who didn't turn away from the scenery. Closing the screen to her room behind him, Kohaku went to check on the problem.

"Ah—there you are!" One of the kitchen staff ran to meet him at the entrance of his home. "This is pretty bad; one of the stoves just gave out."

Another problem, Kohaku thought. "Don't worry I'll order another one. Can you manage until then?" Everything was either breaking or broken from being so old.

The frogman pondered and reluctantly nodded his head. "Yea, we'll have to. The guests may have to wait a bit longer for their food."

"Have the yuna inform them of the wait. Is that all?" Kohaku needed to complete inventory and have the courier take the orders to the next town. The stove would have to be added to the list.

"Yes that's all, thank you sir!" the frogman bowed his head and ran back to the inn where the largest kitchen bustled about to serve guests.

With a register in hand, he completed inventory and updated the ledger. After a total of two hours, he got the orders made and delivered to the courier who would depart in another few hours. Keeping himself busy with guests in the inn, he didn't want them to wait impatiently for the food that was taking longer than usual. Regulars and newcomers alike filled the mountains and stayed for days at a time, their satisfaction was important with rivaling businesses.

It was nightfall by time Kohaku retired for the day.

The house was shrouded in darkness with the moon not providing enough light from behind passing clouds. Through the caliginosity, he opened the screen to Chihiro's room and magically ignited the andon lantern in the back corner. Lying on the ground, the shadowed girl laid sprawled out between the untouched futon and engawa like she had collapsed.

"Chihiro?" Kohaku rushed over and was surprised when he touched her. Warmth spread to his hand radiating from her body. Was it because of the pendant now fallen behind her neck?

Picking her up, he laid her down on the futon and placed the drab pendant back on her sternum. His fingers slid across her shadowy skin, a lifelike warmth giving him hope for the future. For now, he would wait and see and retreated back to his bedroom.

 **Noren** **¹ – Traditional fabric dividers, hung between rooms, on walls, in doorways, or in windows. Usually, have vertical slits on the bottom.**

 **Ranma² - P** **anels found above shoji or fusuma that are designed to let light into rooms through ornate wood carvings on shoji screens. If you're still confused I would look up Japanese ranma and glance at some of the pictures, it should help more than my description.**


	5. Chapter V

**Chapter V**

 **Author's Note: Hello! Thanks for reading this far :) I've been writing a lot lately both this fanfic and my own stories. Not to mention the amount of reading I've been sucked into. I'm working more than usual now so I have significantly less time. But I may not be working by 2019 then I'll be a full-time writer. (It'll happen eventually) Gotta pay that car off. Anyways, here's the next chapter.**

Early in the morning, before the sun had a chance to rise, a steady rain fell from the sky. The pitter-patter woke Kohaku from his sleep and the first thing to go through his mind was Chihiro. Since she had collapsed on the first day, Chihiro stayed that way for another. It was the third day now and the one Yasha had warned him about. Getting up, he walked out onto the engawa. The deep eaves of the roof protected him from getting wet. Down the hall, a staircase led to the tatami area with Chihiro's room.

Sliding the screen open, it was hard to see so he motioned for the lamp to ignite at a dim glow. Surprising him enough to falter, Chihiro laid on the futon with rosy flesh and steady breaths.

Kohaku stepped closer and regarded her visage. Over the years her heart-shaped face had matured, but she hadn't grown out of her rounded cheeks and button nose. Her feet barely reached the end of the futon, she was still small just as he remembered her to be.

A tress of brunette hair was stuck in the crease of her mouth and Kohaku stared at it tentatively. Crouching down next to her, his outstretched arm cast a shadow over her body. Carefully he slid a finger down her cheek, the piece of hair returned to the others sprawled across the pillow under her head.

As if to confirm it was the real deal, she turned over in her sleep. The pendant fell out of her blouse and shimmered against the lamplight, reminding Kohaku whom to be thankful to.

Before he lingered any longer, Kohaku retreated and snuffed out the flame of the lantern with his magic. He wanted to be here when she woke up, but he knew that wasn't likely going to happen. Hopefully, he would be able to check on her hourly until she did. There was going to be a lot she wouldn't understand, being alone wasn't going to help. For now, he went back upstairs to get some sleep.

。。。。

It was the third morning since Chihiro arrived at the Shinrinyoku Onsen. The air was humid but a pleasant breeze cooled her skin. The distant sound of spraying water caught her attention, but she was barely conscious enough to concentrate on it. The hubbub outdoors was a combination of many voices both near and distant.

Lazily opening her eyes, the light shining in through the open-aired space blinded her for a moment. Looking elsewhere, she noticed how bare the room was. It was neat and tidy. Above the veranda, more light peeked in through ornate carvings of trees and cranes all the way to the wall behind her head.

Sitting up on her elbows, she looked down at her body garbed in uniform. Without consideration, she kicked off the single shoe on her foot and blinked idly. Reopening her eyes, her clothes were stained and tattered, grazed flesh bled amongst bruised purple splotches spread across her skin. One leg had a bone protruding from a compound fracture! Droplets of blood dripping down her face distracted her from staring in horror. It dripped into one of her skinned palms, mixing with even more blood.

. . .

"Kohaku-sama, are you there?" Not sure if he would answer, a brown-haired yuna lingered by the gate of his courtyard. She would have to look for him elsewhere. "Kohaku-sama?" trying once more, there was no answer.

Turning away to leave, a shrill scream startled her out of her skin!

"Jun? _What was that?_ " shouted two girls wearing yukata instead of the pale pink suikan uniform. They ran across the bridge and over to the gate of the fenced property. Peering into Kohaku's courtyard, they looked at each other for answers.

"It sounded like a woman's scream," Jun told them.

"A _woman_?" one of yuna dressed in a pastel-blue yukata scowled with skepticism. "No one's allowed in there but Kohaku-sama." The two yuna had rounded jowls with almond-shaped eyes. The pair were inseparable and known for their heavenly hands in the hot springs. They chose to wear yukata instead of the uniform Jun had on.

The other rebuked caustically. "Unless he can scream like that, what do you _think_ it was?" she said with a nudge. The girls pushed each other playfully, becoming more violent with each one.

Ignoring their façade, Jun asked them. "Should we take a look?"

They stared at the brunette dubiously albeit curiously. "If we get in trouble I'm saying this was your idea." In the end, how could they resist going into Kohaku's home?

" _Yea_ , shouldn't we get some help first?" The three scurried into the courtyard and hesitantly walked along the decorated pathway before coming to a standstill.

"Ok, then you can go while Fujinami and I check it out." Jun addressed one of the girls as Fujinami who smirked arrogantly at her friend being left behind.

Jealous, she wanted to see the inside of his home too. "Wait for me! Just a peek then we should go."

"Oh stop it, Mao, you're spoiling all the fun," Fujinami threw her arm out in a jesting push once Mao caught up to them. She staggered and the light seafoam green yukata fluttered. The vibrant magenta-colored blossoms danced around her legs.

"Sorry I don't want to be skinned alive for trespassing! _"_ she recovered her balance and used the momentum to shove Fujinami back.

Jun scowled at them. " _Shush,_ " she hissed.

Slowly she slid the shoji open and they all walked inside. Mao absentmindedly stepped ahead and raised her leg just as Fujinami threw her arm out to stop her. "What are you doing? Take your shoes off."

"My bad," Mao complied by sliding her sandals off. She was so caught up in the moment she almost dirtied Kohaku's expensive tatami mats.

"You go first," Fujinami nudged Jun forward who didn't complain having to take the lead.

Tiptoeing into the first room, the girls looked around tentatively. It was pretty bare without any decorations anywhere, the empty kitchen made it look like a newly bought home.

"Inheriting a famous onsen you'd think he'd buy one or two things," Fujinami whispered. It once belonged to Shinrinyoku's previous owner who happened to love her clutter. Everything was gone just like Hisa.

"He sure likes it neat in here, you could learn a thing or two from him." Fujinami scoffed at Mao's snickering face.

The home definitely had a different vibe to it compared to before. It was a little sad as the loss of a great woman sunk deeper into their bones.

Jun scouted the area by checking the washroom and peering up the staircase, there was only one more room to check. Meanwhile, Fujinami quirked her glossed lips and pointed into the kitchen. "Go through those cupboards over there, I bet they're damn near empty."

Forgetting they were sneaking in, the girl's voices steadily rose in decibels. "What does it matter?" Mao bemoaned.

"I've never seen Kohaku-sama eat before have you—"

The movement in the next room cut off their argument loud enough to be heard throughout the house. The girls stilled and focused on the fading shadow on the other side of the rice paper. Jun readily approached the screen and placed her fingers in the door pull. Looking back nervously at the other two nincompoops, their beady black eyes peeped out anxiously from behind her shoulder,

Sliding the shoji open revealed a lone cowering girl near the back wall.

"Who are you?!" Fujinami demanded from amid the other two. The door slid open even more so they could all fit through.

"Is that a human?" Mao inquired unable to tell for certain. There was no human stench coming out of her, but none of them had seen one in centuries to be completely sure. It was definitely veering toward human versus a spirit.

"It doesn't smell like one, come here you."

Jun stepped in front of Fujinami who was ready to drag the girl out by her hair.

Trying to stop her, Jun pleaded. "Wait, maybe we should get Kohaku-sama now—"

" _No!_ Get away," the girl shouted from the other side of the room. Holding onto a shoe, she chucked it at the ternary of girls coming at her. Jun ducked instantaneously and it smacked Fujinami right on the cheek! Shocked, she teetered back and held her imprinted face. The other two yuna watched incredulously as anger boiled in her dark eyes.

" _Why you little!_ "

. . .

"This place has always been a favorite of mine. More rustic and tranquil compared to a Bathhouse. It's a shame about Hisa though, she was a lovely woman." A longtime regular chatted to Kohaku before returning back to his home. It was a short spirit with a large rounded head. His wrinkled face resembled that of a one-hundred-year-old man clad in a straw cape.

"Indeed she was."

The old spirit studied him through squinted eyes drooping with age. "I bet you learned a lot from her. Luckily you have experience at a bathhouse so this onsen should be no problem for you. I want to see you succeed for the sake of me having somewhere nearby to unwind. Those humans know how to put the years on me."

"I will," Kohaku bowed. The old spirit walked down to the stone steps with the aide of his wooden staff and bade Kohaku farewell.

Before he had the chance to move, his name was called from above. " _Kohaku-sama!"_ the voice rumbled down from the next mountain.

Irritated by the incessant hollering of his name, this one was wheezing by the time he got to Kohaku. "What is it?" his sharp tone scared the frog straight.

"There's a commotion coming from your house disturbing the guests. You can hear the shouting all the way from the inn! We think someone's snuck," before he could finish Kohaku was gone, "in." He concluded and looked around dubiously.

Running back to his house, Kohaku stepped on the wind and used it to propel into the air! He jumped up each elevated platform ignoring the stairs and connective bridges. Going all the way to the long suspension bridge full of converging traffic, he landed on the post. Lunging himself forward, each footfall balanced on the bridge railing as he used the wind to hasten his pace. Mindful of the guests, he jumped over the circumference of a large kami and startled a staff member who doubled over at his landing that slightly swayed the bridge.

Once on the other side, Kohaku leaped off the post and onto more platforms until eventually landing at his gate. His breath was hastened until it ceased to concentrate on a distant uproar.

" _Let go of me!_ "

Kohaku could hear the clamor from out in his courtyard which only made him move faster. In a second he was in Chihiro's room. She was wrestling a yuna being held back by two others.

"Stop it Fujinami leave her alone," Jun and Mao both pleaded. Chihiro yelped and shielded herself with a terrified look in her eyes.

" _Enough!_ " Kohaku shouted and all the girls jolted still. Glaring at the three slug spirits, the fear Chihiro showed earlier reflected in their eyes.

" _Now we're in for it_ ," one mumbled as if he couldn't hear it.

"What are you doing in here?" he demanded.

The yuna looked at each other then one spoke up from the rest. "I'm sorry, I came looking for you but then I heard a scream. It was my idea to come inside." Jun told him with a deep apologetic bow.

"We found a human, she's been holed up in here!" Fujinami was quick to defend herself. The light blue yukata was loosely tied and exposing an immodest amount of cleavage.

"You think I don't know she's here?" The black haired yuna flinched from his harsh tone. "That doesn't give you the right to attack her. If something was wrong you should have found me immediately."

Looking down in defeat, Fujinami was angry and jealous. "But she attacked me first!" she pointed at her plump red cheek nearly matching the color of her lips.

"I'm sure she had a reason to." Kohaku glared at her and walked further into the room. The girls retreated from in front of Chihiro who watched in dismay. "Are you okay?" he asked her. Concerned about her memory, how much she retained he didn't know. Chihiro shook her head and retreated cautiously. "Do you know where you are?" he egged her on to answer.

"No… I don't know." It was perfect Japanese and she could clearly understand him. There was no sign of aphasia.

"Don't worry, I'm a friend of yours, I run the onsen outside those doors." Chihiro glanced out the doorway to the entrance that was left open. By looking at her face Kohaku could tell how hard she was trying to comprehend everything. "You'll live here from now on; consider this your home. The room upstairs belongs to me."

Looking up at a boy around her age, there was something about the way he smiled at her that had a calming effect. His eyes locked with hers without deterring or blinking, there was a softness to his gaze that told her she could trust him.

"She's going to stay _here?_ " Fujinami whispered to her friend. They shrugged in response.

Turning around sharply, Kohaku's hair settled back down against his jawline. "You three, leave _now._ "

They tripped over one another but made it outdoors nonetheless. Giving his attention to Chihiro once more, he knelt down to touch her but she rebuffed instantaneously.

"Who are you?" Chihiro didn't remember when or how they were "friends". The images she pictured in her head all places and faces without a name. They haunted her, waiting for her to remember them. This person wasn't among any of the faces she could see.

"My name's Kohaku."

For a moment she considered that name. Recognition flitted through her eyes but soon lost along with her hopes. "I don't even know my own name." Her brows furrowed in vexation that showed on her face.

Studying her, she seemed to have retrograde amnesia. Most of her declarative memories were gone, leaving the procedural. After a moment of consideration, Kohaku told her. "Your name's Chihiro." Before his eyes, she enlivened and questioned her name. Saying it aloud, disconcertingly nothing new came out of the depths of her mind.

"How do you know my name?" her voice was laced with incredulity. Was it true they knew each other?

All of the memories were precious and impossible to forget, they made him subconsciously smile. "I've always been able to remember your name since you were small."

Whoever this was gave off the impression that they knew her for a long time. "When will I get my memories back?"

It was the question of the day and probably for many more to come. With her back to the light, Chihiro's eyes were dark enough to reflect his face. The way she looked at him tentatively, she had no choice but to take his word for it.

"They may come back on their own. Just wait and see."

"What else can you tell me?" Chihiro beamed up at him pleadingly. "Anything?" she pleaded when he didn't answer.

Careful of what he said, Kohaku didn't want to overwhelm her on the first day. "I know your name is Chihiro Ogino. A long time ago you came into this world by accident. You broke a curse that was killing me, without you, I would already be dead."

Chihiro's jaw slacked in shock. Did she save this person from dying? Meeting Kohaku, befriending him, breaking a curse, it sounded like the story of a stranger. Chihiro barely knew herself so who was she to deny him, obviously, her existence held some sort of importance to him. How could she not hold trust when he looked at her so sincerely? The others were nothing like this. Now she was even more curious about her frittered memories and wanted the missing pieces back.

"I did all that?" she asked no one in particular. "I don't remember at all." Her face twisted in disgruntlement, she was trying too hard to dig up her past.

"Don't force it; you'll just be disappointed when all the effort goes to waste." Unfortunately, Kohaku was right. There was something she needed to remember prodding at her brain but she just couldn't recall it. On top of that, she saw two faces of a man and a woman but couldn't name them. Every time their faces appeared they were practically reaching out to her, it made her want to cry out in frustration when she couldn't grasp them.

"Are you hungry, I can make you something to eat?" Taking her mind off it all, Kohaku reached out his hand to help her stand.

It felt like days since she last ate anything, Chihiro's stomach growled at the thought. "Yea, I'm starving." He smiled once again and helped her stand on her feet. Chihiro was cautious of grabbing his hand, but it didn't harm her in the end.

"Do you have any tea?" she asked thinking about her parched throat while following him into the kitchen. Kohaku's answer resonated with contentment in a way that eased her apprehension. The feeling fluttering in her stomach was familiar, a sweet pain that she didn't particularly like or hate.


	6. Chapter VI

**Chapter VI**

Kohaku sent a kettle flying through the air all the way over to the stove. The cupboards opened and closed by themselves and ingredients landed on the counter. Water came out of a pump that moved on its own. The element hovered in the air and went inside the kettle. The flame underneath it sparked to life. Despite the show he put on, Kohaku prepared the food by hand.

Onions were tossed into a hot frying pan with oil. Eventually sliced beef and other ingredients were thrown in too. Chihiro watched from the doorway admiring the way he cooked and wishing she knew how. The way he could command objects to do whatever he wanted was something that kind of creeped her out—at first. Nothing about it felt normal but was undoubtedly cool to watch seeing it didn't harm her in any way. He performed the actions like they were a natural part of everyday life.

"Do you like Gyudon?" Kohaku asked without looking at her.

"Um... I don't know."

He didn't say anything to that. Wondering what Gyudon was, there was so much Chihiro wanted to know. Whatever happened prior to waking up, she had no clue. Years of her life were erased, at least that's what it felt like. If she pried it out of Kohaku, could she get him to tell her anything else?

"Am I a human?" Asking over the noise of sizzling beef, Chihiro leaned forward trying to get a look at his face in vain. Those girls from earlier had repeatedly called her a _human_. They said it with such disgust like they were something different.

"Yes, you are. There aren't many humans living in this world." Most were enslaved, eaten or had disappeared but he subtly left those details out.

Against her better judgment, Chihiro wanted to know.

"What is this place?" The kettle whistled as the water started to boil. Underneath the pot, the flame extinguished as he dumped some loose tea leaves into a tea sock and let it steep.

"Where you come from, you believe there is a kami for every living thing, this is our world. Not many humans know of its existence." Her empty mind filled with images that lasted half a second. How did she end up in this place? Was someone waiting for her? Where did she come from and who would be waiting? Again, those two faces popped up and her heart swelled painfully.

"Are you a human?" Looking at Kohaku's back, he didn't seem any different from her. Besides the whole levitating objects ability.

"No."

Since he wasn't providing any insight Chihiro had to pry. "Then—what are you?"

"A river spirit," he told her matter-of-factly.

A river spirit, Chihiro thought incredulously. Did such things even exist? Not that she would know. It was better not to question his integrity; after all, he was helping her right?

Kohaku looked back at her and sent a cup of tea into the air for her to grab. Coming out of a daze, she took the steaming cup offered to her and thanked him.

"Can you tell me how we met?" Blowing on the hot tea, she took a sip careful not to burn her tongue. This was her home now as Kohaku said earlier. If that was the case then what happened to her old home? How was she connected to this kami in another world?

Kohaku finished preparing the food and said to the air in front of him. "Which time?"

Dumbfounded, Chihiro gawked and swallowed a swig of tea. "We _met_ more than once?"

Turning around to cast an enigmatic countenance, Kohaku's eyes flitted back to the food he was dishing. "Does that help you remember anything?"

As if it might, Chihiro concentrated, "No, not really."

"You remembered once before I'm sure it will happen again."

Chihiro sucked in a breath and pouted. The food was ready and heading her way via hovering through the air. Flicking his finger again, something rattled from inside her room. A small table floated out and landed in the middle of the tatami floor, followed by two cushions placed crosswise.

He only prepared one portion which she thought strange. "Are you not going to eat anything?" Kohaku shook his head no.

"I can't stay long. There's something I have to check on." He had to help the frogmen install the new stove that should be delivered soon. Until then, he had time to chat.

Gesturing for her to sit, the savory aroma had her mouth watering by the time she picked up her chopsticks. Kohaku sat on the other side and watched her nonchalantly. She was still so small and scrawny. How old was she exactly? The last time she was here was about… four years ago he assumed.

"What is it?" Swallowing a mouthful, Chihiro felt uncomfortable under his inscrutable gaze.

Not that she looked childish, but she hadn't fully matured yet. Thinking about the amulet under her clothes, Kohaku wondered if Chihiro would age or remain the same. For the sake of her being able to experience becoming an adult, he hoped the latter wouldn't take place. But then there was the uncertainty of how long she would stay this way, presumably until the magic dissipated.

"I was just thinking you look different from the last time I saw you."

Curious, Chihiro paused before filling her mouth with a slice of meat.

"How long ago was that?"

Kohaku figured she just wanted him to spit out every detail of their time together right then and there. "A few years ago," he vaguely answered.

" _What happened?"_ she pried with eyes desperate to learn something—anything.

A cryptic grin pulled at his lips. "I'm sure you'll remember soon."

Puffing air out of her nose, she ignored him to eat her meal. He wasn't trying to help at all. Did he not care how frustrated she was trying to understand everything?

"Give it some time," he added having sensed the foul mood. "You should try and get used to this world. If you still can't remember I'll do whatever it takes to help you."

Swallowing a chewed piece of meat, she wanted to say something but a frogman interjected from outside. " _Kohaku-sama!_ " the familiar shriek he heard all day long bellowed from the courtyard. The softness in his eyes shifted and turned steely. Chihiro followed his movements, upset to see him leave so soon.

"Sorry, but I have to go. If you need me, tell one of the staff below the bridge. Help yourself to anything you want."

" _Wait,_ please don't go!" she hurried after him and caught hold of his sleeve as he attempted to slip on his sandals. Grabbing her hand and pulling it off his suikan, he smiled reassuringly.

"It's okay, I'll be back tonight." Turning toward the shoji, he seemed reluctant but let her hand slide out of his grasp.

"…Okay." She acquiesced and stood above the genkan, all alone and without a choice in the matter.

Kohaku slipped out the gate and disappeared down the bridge with a froglike creature.

. . .

There was nothing to do after finishing her meal and cleaning up so Chihiro brooded. It was a little cold outside but it felt good. Sitting with her feet hanging off the engawa, Chihiro leaned on a square-shaped cavity inside the wooden railing and rested her chin on the top of her hands. The closet and staircase to her right cut off most of her field of vision, but the lower mountains were in plain view. Below, steam rose into the air that added to the ambiance of the hot springs she could see from her elevation.

This place was beautiful, but did she belong here?

Wasn't someone waiting for her? It felt that way, but she couldn't decipher it. The two faces she saw the most caused her heart to swell painfully each time. Longing to know who they were and why they felt so important, she would concentrate until her head hurt. It wasn't helping and Kohaku was right, it was disappointing when she found nothing. If only he would help her now instead of later. But that was selfish since she had barely tried on her own.

"I want to remember," she said the same mantra until the words lost their meaning. Eventually, her brain was tired of thinking and demanded a break. Her eyelids grew heavy but she wanted to keep them open. Before she had the chance to relax, the massive geyser exploded and sent her head flying into the railing!

Yelping and groaning, her back collapsed against the veranda and she held the top of her head in pain. Her eyes teared and reopened just in time to see the pillar of water shrink and retreat back into the ground. A cloud of steam trailed the wind and flew right toward the rambunctious crowd along the mountainside.

Chihiro grabbed onto the railing and picked herself up to peer at all the spirits, still rubbing her throbbing head. She couldn't make out a lot of detail; they were further down and on the other side of the steamy cloud.

When things seemed to calm down, Chihiro noticed the smaller bursts of water that occasionally wet the rock. They were soothing unlike the explosion earlier.

With nothing else to do besides contemplate and wait for Kohaku to come back, Chihiro snooped around the house. She opened both the closets in her room and found them stuffed with clutter! She was a little shocked to see so much glutted into them. The table still in the other room came out of one of them but Chihiro hadn't the faintest idea where it had fit in the first place.

Leaving her bedroom, bare feet padded across the tatami and into the main room. It was small but connected to the kitchen and genkan, it appeared more spacious despite the chabudai table in the center of it all. The sun peeked through carvings of nature and a single dragon on the ranma that she took a moment to appreciate. They were ornate just like the ones in her room.

The only doorway on the opposite wall of the kitchen led to a stairwell. Chihiro stepped on the transition to wood and peered up the stairs. That was Kohaku's room up there. It was probably best to leave that unexplored.

Already bored, the only things left in the house to discover being the washroom, powder room and toilet all on the left and right side of the kitchen. Washing her face, she dumped a shallow basin of water down the drain and went back to her room.

Sitting back down on the engawa, Chihiro started to fall asleep again. About an hour later and Kohaku came home.

"Chihiro?" he called before entering her room. The first thing he noticed was her single shoe lying on the ground from where it collided with Fujinami, something he wished he hadn't missed. Finding her asleep, she laid her head on folded arms inside a gap of the railing. Kohaku crouched down behind her and reached out for her shoulder.

"Chihiro," he called again. "Wake up."

Afraid an eruption of water was about to add another bump to her head, Chihiro threw herself back and into something animate behind her. A heap of clothes fell to the ground and two hands grasped onto her forearms.

Chihiro craned her neck back and looked up into jade green eyes that danced from the shadow of long eyelashes.

"You're back?"

Kohaku helped her up, Chihiro lifted her legs back onto the veranda and noticed the pile of clothes, each a different pattern.

"What's all that?"

"I asked some of the girls for them." Chihiro furrowed her brows skeptically.

"They just gave you their clothes?" Grabbing one, she lifted a pale yellow yukata into the air. The color, in particular, attracted her the most out of them all.

"They're much too small for most of the staff to wear, they were hardly used and provided by me in the first place."

Chihiro frowned; he might as well just call her a child. Not that it really mattered, she was glad he went out of his way to get them for her. Each yukata had a subtle pattern and distinct color while keeping it simple. Touching the fabric she whispered her thanks. In truth, she was afraid to look down at herself after what she saw this morning. It was probably just a bad dream playing tricks on her mind but it worked. She didn't want to look at the clothes on her body lest she saw it again.

"I'll leave you to change." Before Kohaku left he opened one of the jampacked closets and used his magic to make some space for her new clothes. A lot of things floated up into his room, possibly going into another closet Chihiro assumed.

"You should have a visitor by tomorrow," Kohaku's voice filled the silence.

"A visitor?" Who in this world would want to visit her? "Is it someone else I know?" she asked curiously albeit a little nervously.

Kohaku looked at her with fey eyes full of secrets. "You'll see when she gets here."

Chihiro was anxious to learn all she could muster out of those who knew her. Even though she also needed to try on her own, just knowing Kohaku would be there for her endowed enough hope to keep trying.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." Before it was too late to mention it, Kohaku turned back with an unfathomable expression. "The pendant around your neck, make sure you don't take it off."

"Why," she inquired looking down into her blouse.

"It's important, I'll talk to you about it later."

Changing her clothes, Chihiro didn't really want her old ones but maybe they would help her remember something. She stored them along with her single shoe in the closet Kohaku emptied for her. The new yukatas and underclothes were placed on a different shelf in the middle. Before dressing, she touched the necklace around her neck. She wondered why it was so important and hurriedly donned something over her original undergarments so that Kohaku would tell her. As for the river spirit, he made them both dinner and they chatted through the meal.

Chihiro started off by asking him about the onsen. Apparently, the previous owner died. With him being her only apprentice, she gave the entire business to him on her deathbed. Trying to change the morbid topic as the silence stretched on, Chihiro brought up the pendant.

"So... what exactly is this?"

Chihiro exposed the pendant on her sternum, she let go of her yukata and it covered the necklace back up. Without saying anything for a moment, Kohaku's eyes lingered on the amulet he could no longer see.

A distant look took over him, it made the food in her stomach churn. "You need that amulet to exist in this world. Make sure you never take it off."

That seemed a little important to wait until now to explain. Touching it from above her clothes, she felt the oval shape with her fingertips. "What happens if I take it off?"

Kohaku straightforwardly told her between bites, "You'll die."

Chihiro was speechless to learn something so small would be crucial in her everyday life. She became more conscious of the chain around her neck and the pendant attached to it.

Without noticing herself, Chihiro quailed. "Don't worry you'll be fine, I won't let anything happen to you." The sweet filled pain returned from his words but a premonition of the future burdened her fears.

Once they finished cleaning up together without using any magic, the sun had already lowered down to the horizon. Kohaku was first to take a bath, and Chihiro waited in her room. The sky was stained with enough light that she didn't have to make her own. Kohaku rapped on the wooden frame and a voice sounded from the other side of the rice paper. "The bath's ready." Going up to his own room, Kohaku bade her goodnight.

After scrubbing, Chihiro laid down in a tub filled with steaming water that eased her muscles. However, it wasn't enough to keep her thoughts from subconsciously furrowing her brows.

Could she get used to living here?

It didn't feel impossible, but the desire to remember her past boiled her blood. After trying on her own, Kohaku would find a way to help her if that didn't work. Judging by his esoteric way of explaining, it was unlikely he was going to share every missing detail, but Chihiro wanted to at least remember how she met him and understand why he was helping her.

Absentmindedly, her hand drifted to the pendant on her sternum. What was it exactly and why did she need it to stay alive? There was something Kohaku wasn't telling her that would help piece everything together. If he was avoiding it, then did Chihiro really want to know?

Squeezing her eyes shut, she took a shuddering breath to calm herself. Today was just the first of many. Quieting her mind, she tried to relax. Just one day at a time, she told herself.

 **Author's Note: Thank you for reading, I'll see you soon :)**


	7. Chapter VII

**Chapter VII**

 **Author's Note: Thanks for reading everybody :)**

A few hours past midnight and some of the spirits and staff were just getting to sleep. A group of yuna retired to their lodge and the giggles were carried all the way to Kohaku's bedroom. With the screens almost never closed, the quiet of the night and all its disturbances could be heard from within his sleep.

Despite that, Kohaku couldn't sense the creeping presence just outside his room glaring with ire. Clawed fingers reached for the shoji and curled around the frame. Moving it slowly, the moonlight refracted on the many jewels adorning each finger.

With a shove, the screen rolled and smacked violently against the wooden post with a _thwack!_

The sleeping boy started awake, the consternation in his eyes flashing away when a realization struck him.

"Zeniba?" the tired voice asked in a slight groan before he settled back down. "It didn't take you long to get here."

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" She said in her sweet grandmotherly voice dripping with sarcasm. "We need to talk, I noticed the new roommate downstairs you failed to mention in your letter."

Kohaku rolled and faced away from Zeniba. "I'm sure she's awake now." Propping himself up, he raked his fingers through his unkempt hair that laid itself out somewhat methodically.

Stepping onto the tatami, Zeniba put her hands on her hips taking up the whole doorway and blocking most of the moonlight. Kohaku saw any chance to escape this lecture suffocate from the mass of her body.

. . .

Tossing and turning, a bead of sweat rolled down her temple. Chihiro's dream plagued her with faces and voices calling out her name. A man and a woman whom she felt the need to remember the most, they haunted her even if she was awake. In her dream, there were many faces, a world similar yet different from what she saw now. It was her world, yet it felt so far away.

Chihiro was drowning and couldn't grasp onto anything that might make sense of things.

A sound came from upstairs, loud enough to rouse Chihiro from her sleep. She sat up with a deep breath and rubbed her eyes awake. The perspiration on her skin made her feel hot and sticky; she wanted to wash the sweat away along with her frustrations.

Looking up curiously at the ceiling, a loud noise came from Kohaku's bedroom. Going over to the engawa, voices could be heard, although faint. Touching the railing and angling her head, Chihiro couldn't make out every word but it sounded like an argument.

The screens to her bedroom were carefully slid open enough for her small frame to slide out. Peeking up the staircase, the voices were louder but still incomprehensible. Before Chihiro could think about retreating, she distinctively heard her name. Her silent footfalls padded up the steps until reaching the top.

The heart in her chest thumped anxiously as she eavesdropped on the conversation between Kohaku and what sounded like an older woman.

"I outta throw you into that boiling pit of water for your stupidity."

Crouching down to the floor, Chihiro didn't want her shadow to be seen through the rice paper screens. The woman was angry; her tone sharp and scornful.

"Of all people I thought you would be ecstatic to see her again."

There was a harrumph followed by a momentary silence. "You ignored the rules of this world to keep her here and at what cost? I don't even want to know what you did to get that amulet."

Idly touching the pendant dangling above her breasts, Chihiro's fingertips caressed the smooth gemstone. The necklace she would die without. Kohaku had gotten it for her?

"Didn't you also bend the rules and give Chihiro something before she left this world?"

"Cheeky brat," she muttered. "It would've been easier just to guide her. I would have helped you."

Guide her where, Chihiro wondered. They knew what had happened to her, but Chihiro found her hands trembling at the thought of finding out. Bunching them into fists, she took a deep breath and listened some more.

"She didn't want to leave."

Ruminating, Chihiro didn't remember how she got here to begin with. Her only memories were voices and places that she had no name for. She never saw the whole picture; the entirety of her life was in fragments.

This world was familiar in its own way. Chihiro felt she had been here before but it was a brief feeling of déjà vu that told her so.

"I think you didn't want her to leave either." Chihiro quieted her breath, afraid she'd miss something. "I expect you to protect her from now on." The witch's tone softened to a grandmotherly hum.

Even though she didn't fully understand what was happening to her, Chihiro believed in Kohaku just as he believes in her ability to remember. If she had made such a connection with these people in a different world, then that confirmed she had been here before. What kind of life did she have up to this point? Chihiro wanted to know even more.

"That's what I'm doing."

There was shuffling from inside the bedroom that startled Chihiro when she realized someone was coming out.

"I'll leave you to sleep. We'll all talk in the morning—"

Frozen, Chihiro cowered to the ground in front of a humongous hag! Eyes the size of plates stared down at her as if she were a mouse.

"Oh, my!" she trilled stiffly. "Good morning."

On edge, Chihiro stood up careful not to fall down the stairs behind her heel. From inside the room, a pale hand grabbed the frame of the shoji followed by a face looking over at her. Kohaku emerged when he saw the panic in her eyes.

"Chihiro, this is Zeniba."

The witch smiled at her, softening her features. A timid Chihiro lingered close to the wall with Kohaku between them. "H-hello." This was the first person she'd officially met besides Kohaku. "I heard my name so I was listening, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, it was my fault for waking you up. It's still quite early why don't you go back to bed so we can talk in the morning?" Zeniba smiled, if not for her bulbous size she wouldn't come off as so intimidating.

"I'll take her," Kohaku grabbed Chihiro by the shoulder and spun her around. Stepping down the stairs, Chihiro halted to look back but a nudge between her shoulder blades ushered her to keep going.

"You'll see her in the morning."

From just beside her, Kohaku's arm brushed against hers. Even though it was dark Chihiro could still make out the details of his face when glancing over at him. Compared to her one-piece underwear modest enough to wear in front of others, Kohaku slept in thin monpe with a short-sleeved robe secured underneath.

"She's the one I met before?" Chihiro asked curiously.

Standing in front of her bedroom, she looked over at Kohaku expectantly.

"Yes, she came a long way to see you."

If only she could see anything at all, there wasn't a single fragment in her mind that told Chihiro she knew these people. Yet they knew her name and had formed a relationship with her. Kohaku never faltered his gaze when looking at her, always staring earnestly with intent. What kind of friendship did she have with him before? Just how close were they?

Unable to hold the eye contact for too long Chihiro stared inattentively at the ground. When Kohaku placed his hand on her shoulder, the weight brought her back to the reality she was letting herself slip from.

"When you wake up there's something Zeniba wants to talk to you about." Interested, at the same time a rock settled in Chihiro's stomach from what she might learn.

"What about you?" The thought of Kohaku leaving her alone made her anxious. He was the only one Chihiro felt she could trust even if the stranger was someone she once knew.

The hand on her shoulder slipped back to its owner. "I won't be free until later in the evening."

A little disappointed, it seemed like he never got a break from work. "Oh," she mumbled.

"Go back to sleep, I'll see you in the morning."

Looking into his eyes, they faced her at nearly the same height. "Ok," Chihiro said under her breath and tore her gaze away. Sliding the shoji open, she said to the air in front of her. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

. . .

When morning came, the witch and dragon boy sat in silence. Zeniba had taken over his kitchen making a mess trying to find what she needed to cook breakfast. Sitting idly by the chabudai table, Kohaku watched her rummaging around with exasperation.

"It would be easier if you let me cook."

"Sure it would," Zeniba agreed. "It's been ages since I last saw Chihiro now let me treat her to some breakfast." It wouldn't just be breakfast, Kohaku thought. After getting all the ingredients out there was something Zeniba couldn't find. "I need another pan, where is it?"

Flicking his finger, the witch stopped opening and closing the cabinets when she sensed Kohaku's magic in the air. The door to Chihiro's room slid open and another pan came floating into the kitchen. From the brief moment the bedroom door remained open, Kohaku heard something from inside. Leaving the witch alone in his kitchen, he went to check on Chihiro.

"No…," she murmured in her sleep. Sliding the door open some more, Kohaku noticed the crease between her brows.

Silently stepping next to her futon, Kohaku crouched down and placed his fingertips on her forehead. Emitting a soft glow, gradually her face relaxed. The dreams causing her pain faded and were replaced by steady visions of spirits lounging in baths, a lush garden, and a night sky filled with the moon.

"What are you doing?" Zeniba whispered from outside the open doorway.

"Helping her sleep," the boy replied even quieter without averting away.

Twitching her nose, the witch held her tongue. Showing Chihiro pieces to a puzzle might help her recover. However, magic and stories couldn't replace the experience. It was best for Chihiro to remember them on her own. They would have to have a chat after breakfast. She couldn't go on like this, not knowing what happened to her.

Not long after Kohaku left the bedroom, Chihiro woke up revivified. There was a pleasant smell in the air and a murmur of voices on the other side of the wall.

Chihiro reached for the pendant that fell against her back and returned it to her front. Going over to the closet she donned a pale pink yukata over her undergarment. Everything on her body was something Kohaku had given her. Emerging from the bedroom, she was met with the said person's stare. Lounging at the table in his usual suikan uniform, Kohaku's gaze locked on her.

"Good morning," he greeted a moment before the witch made her appearance.

"Ah—there she is!" Zeniba chirped from the kitchen. "I was wondering if you were going to wake up."

"Good morning," Chihiro smiled and could only take a few steps forward before she was ushered into the kitchen.

"Wash up, then you can eat the breakfast I prepared for you."

The aroma made her stomach growl so Chihiro complied and went into the washroom. Coming out a little neater than before she went in, the food she was craving sat at the table waiting for her.

"Come over here!" Zeniba beckoned with enthusiasm.

Kohaku was quieter around the witch compared to being alone with Chihiro. The atmosphere was tense between the two. Instead of getting involved in their idle chatter, he ate in silence while the girls conversed.

"You've become so pretty I can't wait to see you all grown up. That is— _if_ you age of course. We'll have to wait and see."

Stopping before the chopsticks could reach her mouth, the egg and rice between them lolled and fell on Chihiro's plate with a _splat_.

"What do you mean _if_ I age?" Her other hand absentmindedly flittered to the pendant under her clothes that Kohaku took notice to. Feeling the oval shape with her fingers, Chihiro knew it wasn't normal to stay the same forever. Not being able to grow up, that was a scary thought.

Zeniba sort of glared at the kami in the room. "Thanks to Kohaku that pendant around your neck protects your spirit and stimulates your lifeforce. You must be careful never to take it off if you want to stay in this world."

"Where else would I go?" Chihiro still didn't understand and her wavering voice was starting to expose her foreboding. Anxiety triggered a visceral burn as nothing good was bound to come out of this conversation.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry to tell you this before you could even finish your meal but it must be done. A few days ago, you died in the human world, that's why you're here."

"I'm dead?" Chihiro repeated incredulously and looked herself over. She felt very much alive. "So, all my memories are gone because I died?" Looking at both Kohaku and Zeniba for answers, after some time the witch spoke up.

"Your life as a human was short and I'm sorry for that. If I could help you remember everything you forgot I would, but sadly there's nothing I can do."

The witch's words were muffled and hard to concentrate on. A world she couldn't fully remember nor go back to. The people missing her and mourning her, Chihiro couldn't even remember their names but then something dawned on her. Those two faces of a man and a woman had to be her parents. Who else could they be but her family? The love she must've felt along with the time spent with them was torn out of her. Leaving her heartbroken. All she could do now was try and regain the past taken from her when she died and arrived in the spirit world. There was no going back to whatever her life used to be.

Unconsciously her eyes moved over to Kohaku who studied her silently. If he wasn't there for her what would have happened? Where would she be now? It was scary to think about because she knew nothing of what it meant to die. The life she had now was only possible because of the pendant touching her flesh. The unworldly boy gazed at her from across the table, life as she knew it now—was possible thanks to him.


	8. Chapter VIII

**Chapter VIII**

 **Author's Note: The encouragement has been amazing! Sadly I need to focus more on my original works, but I won't stop this fic. There's still so much left to write—thanks again :)**

Everyone's mien converted to reticence and through the ongoing silence, Chihiro believed her thundering heartbeat resounded. Everything Zeniba told her was the reality of things. She was already dead, living in the spirit world with friends she'd somehow made while alive. The normal human life she once lived was frittered fragments within her memories.

There was no way to be sure, but Chihiro's supposition believed her parent's faces arose in rapid flashbacks. As fast as they appeared they were gone in a second. Leaving a wistful Chihiro wanting to see them again. Their voices echoed incomprehensibly, the drawled lilts and intonations of their voices were hauntingly familiar.

It was strange how much she could picture of her human life but not one thing came to mind when she thought about a world filled with spirits.

"I think I can see my parents but I don't know for sure." Chihiro broke the silence with a strained voice warbling with unease. "When I think about this place and the both of you," her eyes looked into a pair of green and brown, "I can't remember anything at all."

Kohaku opened his mouth to say something but before any words could be articulated a frogman hollered from outside.

"Kohaku-sama!" they trilled with all their might. Startled, Chihiro dropped her chopsticks and fumbled trying to put them back on the table.

"You're leaving?" She expressed her discontent completely losing her train of thought in the process.

The kami neatly placed his utensils beside his dish and stood up without making eye contact with any of them. "I'll see you later. Take care of her Zeniba."

"I plan to," the witch huffed. "I'm jealous she's so attached to you already."

Ignoring her comment, Kohaku excused himself with a dainty belying smile curving his lips. Meanwhile, Chihiro watched dejectedly.

"Don't worry; it pains him just as much to leave you." Zeniba snickered at the thoughts going through her head.

Staring down at her manipulated meal, it was delicious but Chihiro's appetite had greatly diminished. The witch noticed her sulking and placed a bejeweled hand over her much smaller one. "Don't make such a sad face, you might be stuck here but Kohaku will take good care of you."

Chihiro shook her head. "It's not that. I know he's doing a lot for me but... what if I never remember you guys?"

Squeezing the small hand, Zeniba smiled reassuringly. "The memories you made with us aren't lost forever, just waiting for you to find them. Don't give up so easily."

The witch calmed her down significantly, giving Chihiro what she needed to make it through the day. "Thank you Zeniba, I'll keep trying."

"Oh," the hand retreated and the sorceress's displeased face cringed. "I want you to call me Granny."

"Granny?" Chihiro questioned with a quirk of her lips.

"See? That's much better." Getting up from her cushion, the witch flicked her finger to tidy the room. The meal Chihiro hadn't touched since she dropped her chopsticks along with the other dishes went flying into the kitchen. It was the same kind of magic Kohaku could use. "So what should we do today?" Zeniba's voice filled the hushed atmosphere.

Unsure, Chihiro had never left the house before. Thinking of things to do, there was something she wanted to learn that the witch seemed to know plenty about. "Can you teach me how to cook?"

"That sounds fun." Zeniba rubbed her hands together to warm them up. "What kind of dish do you have in mind?"

There was one Chihiro could picture but didn't know what it was called. "Um… it looks something like this." Using her fingers to make the shape of a triangle, an imaginary lightbulb lit up above the witch's head.

"Ahh—those are fun. Let's get started shall we?"

Going into the kitchen, the witch searched for all the ingredients and utensils they would need. Walking up to the only electrical appliance in the whole house, the fridge hummed when the sorceress pulled on the handle to open the door.

"Oh—look at these." Pulling out a large jar of pickled plums, Zeniba took the lid off and popped one in her mouth. The wrinkles on her face scrunched up and her nose crinkled with a flare of her nostrils. "Here, try one."

Intrigued, Chihiro grabbed one of the flesh-colored plums and bit into the globby fruit much like an apricot. It was sweet and sour with a saltiness that had Chihiro making the same face as Zeniba.

"Let's put some of those in the Onigiri, now we just need some… Oh—would you look at that, no rice!" Zeniba cried as she opened the last cabinet to make sure. "What is that boy thinking?" What little she found this morning was all used up from breakfast, Kohaku didn't even have a single grain stored away.

"Now what do we do?"

"I'm sure they have some at the inn, let's go, shall we?" Zeniba gestured for Chihiro follow. Noticing her lack of footwear, the witch stared down expectantly at the genkan as if something might suddenly appear. "Well, that won't do." Flicking her finger the shoji slid open and two rocks along the pathway morphed and turned into sandals.

Blinking to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, Chihiro ran over and picked them up. "Wow, that was amazing Granny! Are these for me?"

The witch cackled with laughter, smiling down at Chihiro with soft brown eyes framed by black caked lashes. "Of course dear, we can't have you running around barefoot. Now try them on." One step behind her, Zeniba waited as Chihiro impatiently slid her feet into a pair of every day looking sandals.

"They fit," she said with a wiggle of her toes.

"Now let's get that rice."

They walked through the courtyard with an abundant variety of flora growing in organized clusters. The flowers varied from Komakusa—a uniquely shaped flower with pink tinted petals to Fritillaries—known as Kuroyuri and some Chocolate lilies just to name a few. All the different colors we're enthralling, not to mention the sweet scent faintly perfuming the air.

Sprouting randomly in each garden some yellow Aleutian Avens germinated betwixt them all. In one of the corners, a small Rhododendron tree was sadly not in bloom. The vibrant pink hued inflorescences were absent leaving only the brown-spotted deciduous leaves. The other side near the mountain had a Japanese beech tree overlooking a garden beneath its red and yellow transitioning leaves.

It was Chihiro's first time seeing it all. On the other side of the fenced wall, there was even more to behold. Zeniba went through the gate and it closed on its own with a creak once Chihiro crossed through.

Gaping in awe, the first thing that caught her attention was an elaborate red lacquered building taller than all the others. On each floor, spirits could be seen crowding the engawa for some fresh air. All the way to the verandas on the third floor, it was packed, the spirits mingling and fanning themselves in conversation.

Going down a terrace of rock, it evened out right before a bridge that led to the lower parts of the mountain. It swayed from their movements and Chihiro tensed. Without staying on there for another second she rushed to the other side. The rock beneath their feet transitioned to wooden planks with a guardrail to her left.

Everyone ignored her, but as for Zeniba a couple of wary stares glanced her way. Coming out of the first two-story building on their right was only women, their physical attributes were similar to each other with the exception of a select few as their clothes varied from yukata to a pale pink suikan and monpe uniform. Some of them stood out wearing the traditional garbs of a _miko_.

With a steaming sentō separating the men and women lodgings, it was the only public bath in the Shinrinyoku Onsen that had disunited genders. The other building with the recrudescent curved eaves had froglike creatures coming out on two legs. Some of them had flesh-colored skin and facial hair but with the slight physique of an amphibian.

"Welcome honored guest."

Zeniba turned and the profile of her face muttered with a smirk, "Let's go talk to that sap."

Peering around the circumference of her body, Chihiro eyed a short male worker clad in refined robes lower on the mountain. The spirit greeted each customer walking into the inn with a rosy-cheeked smile followed by a bow. Once his eyes settled on the duo crossing the bridge, his frown became more apparent. In a flash, he forced a welcoming grin.

"Hello and welcome!"

The well-known sorceress who appeared identical with her twin sister ruling over the northeastern bathhouse smiled down at the spirit fighting his desire to cower. "We need some ingredients for Onigiri; you can do that can't you? Don't worry about Kohaku he doesn't mind."

Looking from Zeniba to the girl hiding behind her, the spirit hesitated. "Are you sure Kohaku-sama said it was alright?"

"What—you don't believe me?" Zeniba exclaimed absolutely appalled at the thought. "Shall we call Kohaku over here who's so busy working just to let us have some of your rice? It's his fault for being out of food when he has guests."

"Okay, okay, I'll have someone bring it out. Wait over there," he motioned to the side trying to get them out of the way.

Moving over to the railing, the witch harrumphed victoriously with a twitch of her nose. Chihiro hovered behind Zeniba and looked side-to-side at all the passersby. The many long-haired yuna ran with buckets and towels, some carrying them under their arm or atop their head. Frogmen scurried by with tools clanking and sticks poking into the air from their mops or brooms. They moved hurriedly to and fro while still being mindful of all the guests.

The long suspension bridge leading to the lower mountains bustled with activity. Chihiro watched as oddly shaped kami came out of the inn and went straight across. It swayed and creaked from all the footfalls walking in an orderly fashion. With just enough room to squeeze by some of the staff ran amid the traffic.

Gazing further down, Chihiro studied the nearest onsen she could see. The crowd walking by thinned and she could clearly make out the silhouette of Kohaku. Gripping onto the railing keeping her from falling down the jagged cliffside and into the curving river, Chihiro leaned into the wood to get a better look.

He was talking to a couple of spirits that were much taller and wider than him. They had lumpy orangish skin covered in blue elaborate robes with disfigured bumpy faces. Afraid she would lose sight of him if she blinked, each spirit that walked by him blocked her view completely.

From beside Chihiro, Zeniba noticed her admiring the boy from afar and impishly grinned to herself.

"Ahh, here it comes."

Glancing back at the witch, she went to collect their ingredients. Turning back to Kohaku, her eyes couldn't find him. He was lost in the crowd.

Together they went back home to make the Onigiri. Giving Chihiro step-by-steps instructions, they laughed at her failures to shape the rice. Eventually, she got the technique down and executed one after the other. Taking a break to eat some of them, Chihiro looked over at the grandmotherly witch who sat on the other side of the table.

"Granny? How did you meet Kohaku?" Chihiro asked between bites.

Large brown orbs rolled up to look at Chihiro with an esoteric glint. "Hmm... well, he used to be my sister's apprentice." She stated matter-of-factly. "A gaudy woman with horrible taste! She and I are nothing alike."

"You have a sister?"

"Yes, and with luck, you'll never hear from her again."

Pausing before she took another bite, Chihiro lowered the riceball to her lap. "I've met her before?"

Zeniba flashed her a whimsical smile. "Now that's a long story. I don't know all the details but your name when we first met was Sen."

"Sen?" Now they were getting somewhere.

"That's right. My sister owns a bathhouse. She uses her magic to steal the names of those who sign a contract, forgetting who they are." She put emphasis on the last part and raised her brows for a daunting effect.

"That's awful—why would she do that?"

There was an oath Yubaba once took to give a job to anyone that asks, of course, her sister knew about it. "She needed a way to control everyone that asked her for a job. That's where you came in. You got mixed up in one of her contracts. I wish I could have seen the look on her face when you broke it." The wrinkles on her ample visage creased even more as Zeniba's mouth widened to let out a toothy cackle.

Very slowly, mental pieces to a puzzle connected as Chihiro's mind was being filled with speculations.

"Wait, if Kohaku was her apprentice. Did I meet him at your sister's bathhouse?"

Zeniba's grin tightened in the corners, the sharp gleam in her eyes affirming her accusation. "Perhaps you did," she stated in the tone of a question.

"What else happened?" There was so much to remember, even though it sounded like a story. Chihiro had to remind herself that it was _her_ story.

"Only you can truly answer that. I only know the bits I was involved with." Chihiro expected her to say something witty like that.

Speaking of Kohaku, they didn't seem to be on the best of terms. "Did something happen between you and Kohaku?"

As if she almost forgot, Zeniba's eyes lit up. "I did try to kill him once, which I've apologized for." Chihiro deadpanned. "Without you, he'd be good as dead." She added for good measure.

Kohaku mentioned something like that yesterday. "He told me I broke a curse that was killing him. Did you put that curse on him?"

"I did and I didn't." Chihiro wasn't following and Zeniba explained herself. "My sister put a slug in Kohaku and used it to control him. She told him to steal a very powerful golden seal from me. The curse on the seal is what nearly killed him on top of my resentment at the time."

"Granny!" Chihiro's horrified exclamation made the witch guffaw.

"You came all the way to Swamp Bottom to give the seal back to me and apologize for him." The witch's laughter died down. "I think it was meant to be, you two finding each other."

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the thought. She really saved Kohaku just like he had told her. To think they shared such an eventful past together and only one of them could remember it. None of it felt real no matter how many details were added.

So much happened when she was last here, Chihiro wished they knew something about her parents. Seeing they were from a different world it seemed unlikely that they would. Lost in a daze, Chihiro's nerves exploded until she felt it in her stomach.

After a minute of silence Zeniba perked up and Chihiro followed her gaze to the entryway. "Oh, look who's back."

Chihiro was met with small orbs of green focusing on her as soon as Kohaku stepped into his home. So much time had passed, it was already mid-afternoon before she even realized it. "Kohaku," she excitedly shot up from the table.

"You made it back just in time, I need to head home soon."

The witch got up and smoothed out her dress. Turning back to Zeniba, Chihiro didn't want her to leave. "You're going back already?"

It was delightful to know she was wanted but the witch needed to return home. "I'll see you again don't worry. Until then work hard trying to remember us."

With everything she learned today, Chihiro was hopeful something would come back to her. "I will. Thanks for today Granny."

"Come and give me a hug!"

Arms wide and ready to squeeze the air out of the once human girl, Chihiro stood eye-level with the witch's forehead. With all her might she hugged the girth of Zeniba's body. "Bye Granny."

"See you later dear. Goodbye Kohaku."

The river kami bowed his head and walked over to Chihiro. The girls waved to one another and the sorceress departed to her room at the inn to gather her magical cloak that would ensure a swift return to Swamp Bottom.

"I made these for you." Happily presenting the Onigiri she worked on all afternoon, Kohaku stared down at a plate of riceballs stoically. "Are you hungry?" she asked him waiting for some kind of reaction as she finished her almost forgotten Onigiri.

There was a flutter in her stomach from witnessing the corner's of his mouth turn up into a genuine smile. "Zeniba taught you?" he asked the obvious.

"So far it's the only dish I know how to make." Chihiro chuckled and watched as he took his first bite. He showed no sign on whether or not he liked it and ate in silence. Taking the moment to study him from where Zeniba sat moments ago, Kohaku had a weary look on his face.

"Was it busy today?"

The boy looked up and his steely eyes gave away his exhaustion.

"Very."

Unsure if he would let her, Chihiro could do something other than sitting around all day. "Maybe I could help?"

He seemed to consider it, it would be a good way for Chihiro to get used to life in the spirit world. If she ever regained some of her memories, the drastic differences between their worlds could shock her. However, his glare shifted uncompromisingly with dissent. Anything could happen to the pendant on her neck. Without it, she couldn't stay in this world. If Chihiro didn't have to work in order to survive then it would be more practical to find something else for her to do.

"You shouldn't work here." He said to her surprise. "Many of the spirits in this area haven't seen a human in centuries. It wouldn't be hard for them to trick or harm you." Chihiro was disappointed. It made her a little nervous about the staff seeing she already made a bad impression on a few of them.

She also couldn't help but wonder since Kohaku inherited the entire business and its employees. "Do you make your staff sign contracts?" Kohaku's averted gaze snapped back to her and lingered piercingly like he was trying to read her thoughts.

"Yes."

"Do they keep their names?" Without saying anything Kohaku narrowed his sharp green eyes. "Granny told me I used to work at her sister's bathhouse," Chihiro explained.

So that was it. Kohaku almost thought she remembered something in the period he was gone.

"Everyone keeps their name. The contracts are a record of all the employees past and present."

While Kohaku ate more Onigiri, Chihiro looked off to the side in deep thought. After a moment she broke the silence.

"Granny told me she was the one who almost killed you."

Watching his reaction, Kohaku focused on nothing as memories played back to him. "What else did she tell you?" He was genuinely interested.

Thinking back for a moment, Chihiro said, "I signed a contract at her sister's bathhouse. I think that's when I met you." Looking over at the kami, Chihiro asked him. "Did you help me back then too?"

"I did."

Curious as to why. If she stumbled into this world on accident why would he feel inclined to help her to begin with? "Why did you help me?"

There was more to their relationship than Chihiro had initially interpreted.

"I knew what would happen if I didn't."

Chihiro wanted to know why he cared enough to help her but couldn't find the right words. "Um... what," her brows furrowed as she trailed off. Why did the kami of a river want to help her so much even after she had died? The time they spent together, how long was it? She wanted to know every detail of what happened.

"What do you want to know? I'll tell you."

"Um," she was losing her coherence. After blinking a couple times she inquired, "What happened to you at the bathhouse?"

Kohaku looked at her sincerely, like he was going to tell her any and everything. "I was an apprentice under contract. My name was taken just like yours but I couldn't remember it. You gave me my name back so I could break free."

"I did?" she was in disbelief. "How did I know your name?"

Something burned in the core of her body. The curiosity was overbearing. Kohaku knew so much that was only a fraction of her life.

"When you were small, you fell in my river before it was filled in." Concentrating, Chihiro couldn't recall anything of the sort happening. "You remembered the name of my river, something I couldn't do."

"I can't believe I did so much when I was only a kid." Surely she didn't accidentally end up in this world by herself so young. "My parents were there too weren't they?" Kohaku nodded to confirm her presumption.

"You signed the contract to save them. In the end, you beat the final test and your contract broke. All three of you went back to the other side."

The other side was the human world, Chihiro assumed. After going through so much, she managed to save her parents and Kohaku. Chihiro wondered what it was like saying goodbye. Granny was fond of her and there must have been others. She was working in a bathhouse after all. As for Kohaku, there was a bond between them she couldn't explain. Every time she failed to remember him made her feel ashamed. Even after learning so much, everything she pictured was only her imagination at play.

Kohaku had gathered the dirty dishes and washed them with the help of his magic. Still brooding in the same spot, Chihiro gazed down into her lap. The clatter of porcelain and splashing water in the distance was a nostalgic sound without really knowing why. It was nostalgic just like the Onigiri she made with Granny today.

Closing her eyes she pictured her parents. All she had left of them was what she could see in her mind's eye. She could only imagine what they must be going through right now. The cries that haunted her dreams, they made her shudder thinking they could be a reality. The visceral burn that followed reached her eyes and they threatened to water as they warmed.

Without her permission tears slid down her cheek as she nearly choked on the sob trying to escape. Once one tear completed the trek, more followed in pursuit. Rubbing at her dripping eyes, she sniffed and inhaled a sharp wavering breath.

After a moment Kohaku was by her side. Chihiro could feel him and through blurry eyes make out the dark color of his monpe trousers kneeling next to her. Sniffling, Chihiro continued to wipe at her face as he gently draped a hand over her shoulders. Without saying anything he comforted her in a time of need. Chihiro mourned her losses just as they were doing for her. Being able to get the tears and pent-up sorrows out felt good in its own bittersweet way.

Kohaku being there made it all the more bearable. Chihiro didn't know what she'd do without him.


	9. Special Announcement

Hello everyone, I have happy, happy news!

I've officially created my Author's website that I'm hoping many of you will visit and subscribe to my Mailing list. It would mean the WORLD to me if some of my first subscribers came from FanFiction, this is where it all started for me and without all of your support, I wouldn't be where I am today.

I'll say it right off the bat that my first 6 books I have planned for release will be in a special kind of genre called Omegaverse. Now a lot of you are probably thinking omega-what? Well, it may be a lot to explain here but I'll do my best. Basically, **Omegaverse** is an AU(alternate universe) with a system containing three roles: Alpha, Beta, and Omega. You'll mostly find in all of my work m/f romances and don't worry if Omegaverse isn't for you I have SO many more stories planned, (all romance) that I hope you'll subscribe for. Something I should also mention is that most of my stories will be for **mature** readers only.

I plan to release 6 Omegaverse books for FREE on the kindle unlimited app, that only costs $10 a month to read all the free content on that app. I may even send some of my subscribers an opportunity to BETA READ my novels, which means you'll be reading an entire book for free without an app. Of course, you have to subscribe to me to get that opportunity, how else would I reach you?

I implore you all to explore my website and read my blog and books section for more info on my unique Omegaverse universe and WIP description!

hannahromack . com

That's my website but of course, don't include any of the spaces.

I'm sure some of you are thinking ... but what about your FanFiction are j=you just going to abandon it? Of course not! I feel I should mention I started writing FanFiction mostly about Spirited Away in the 6th grade, I am now 22 years old so I've been writing solely about Spirited Away for 10 plus years... You can imagine how long that is to write about the same thing and not get tired of it. Spirited Away is my biggest inspiration and I've finally created a sequel (The Illusion of Death) that I can be truly proud of. I don't plan on abandoning it but I hope you all will give me a chance to establish myself an Author. I have so, so, so, many stories that want out of my head and this is my opportunity to do so. I put blood, sweat, and tears into my FanFiction and plan to do the same for my novels.

When I find the time I will definitely update, and since this website seems to be dying slowly (sob) I may even post it on some other FanFiction platforms.


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